January 31, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

"TALK OF THE TOWN"By Bonni BrodnickGo to the Town Park, then leave. At the stop sign going back onto Westchester Avenue, take a look across the street, at about 2:00 on the nautical dial. In the midst of a wintry Pound Ridge landscape is a stunning ice sculpture by Artie Clark. “What started as a simple way for me and my son, Al, to occupy our time during the non-eventful months of winter, has evolved into something the community began to notice and revel,” said the artist who uses water and cold temperatures to create his temporal masterpiece. The big surprise was when neighbors began stopping Artie around town to compliment him. “I had never expected so many people to notice/connect me with it. Since I’ve lived in Pound Ridge my entire life, it makes me incredibly happy to know that other residents do notice and appreciate my efforts. The appreciation keeps me going year after year.”

The Artie Clark Ice Sculpture is now illuminated with an inner light at night, which adds to its mystery. This veritable glacial behemoth is created through the use of a well pump submerged in a small pond about 100-feet away. Attached to the pump is small pipe with a pressure washer nozzle at the end of it. “The nozzle is hung in a tree at a height of about 20-feet, allowing for the fine mist to cover a greater area. The ice usually lasts until the end of April, and despite global warming, this trend has continued year after year.”

Need a lift? Come to the 9th Annual Pound Ridge Elementary School PTA Cabaret on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the PRES gym. Students in grades 3-5 will perform dance acts, sing songs, perform comedy skits, play musical instruments, you name it. Look forward to Annabelle Beni, AJ Peck, Kassie Kalman, Emily Kowalski and Isabel Warner shaking a booty to “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.” Grace Bartlett will dance to the Fireflies, and Simon Peck will defy gravity with an exciting pogo stick act. Victoria Bartlett, Katherine Grilli and Leah Goran will sing, and various piano pieces will be performed. The Cabaret will be masterfully MC’d by Jean Mazzilli, PRES gym teacher. As is sung in Stephen Sondheim and Julie Styne’s Broadway classic, “Gypsy,” … "Let them entertain you, let them make you smile. Let them show you a few tricks, some old and some new tricks, they’re very versatile. And if you’re real good, they’ll make you feel good, they’ll make your spirits fly!” No admission fee and baked goods will be available. For more info, call 764-8133.

More weekend theatrics continue as Fox Lane Middle School (FLMS) presents “Little Shop of Horrors” on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Fox Lane High School Mary Lou Meese Theater. Tickets, which are $15, can be reserved online at flmstheater@gmail.com or by calling 241-7912. FLMS music teachers Matt Vanacoro will direct and Mike Piescki will produce. We also heard it through the grapevine that they will grace us with their talents in the pit band at show time. Among the students performing in the upcoming “Little Shop of Horrors” are esteemed young Pound Ridge thespians Heath Carmichael, Phoebe Cavise, Peter Luca Malinverni and Francesca Leventhan.

“Talk of the Town” sends Mary Moat very best 99th birthday wishes. In my book, “Pound Ridge Past: Remembrances of Our Townsfolk,” Mary talked about coming here in 1949 as a young mother. “There were only 800 people living in town, and everyone knew everyone else.” Through the decades, Mary has given her time as founding member of the Pound Ridge Historical Society, for whom she served on and off for more than 20 years. Mary has served as a board member of the Landmarks and Historic District Commission, was past president of the Garden Club, and on the board of the Ninth District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State. “I suppose I’ve been on every committee there is to be on in this town. If you come here and love Pound Ridge, you should be willing to give something of yourself to make it a better place.” Mary, a true grande dame of our town, is exemplary in all she does. Happy Birthday, Mary!